Witch Next Door
by Alabama360
Summary: They were friends when younger, but things change. James starts acting snobby towards her around his friends. Funny at how James is being dicrete about his feelings, but secretly, Lily feels the same way.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

"Dear Harry,

I just wanted you to know that if you receive this letter, it means you mother and I have passed. We want you to know that we love you and we are sorry we can't be there for you as you grow older. There aren't any words that I can say in a difficult letter like this. We just want you to have the best life you can have. We are enclosing all our gold in your name as when we do die, you won't be poor. Everything we own belongs to you. Be a good boy and we will meet again someday. Be true to your heart...

Sincerely, your Father and Mother."

James put down his quill, and sealed the envelope with a tap of his wand. Lily was standing over his shoulder, with a tear in her eye, holding young Harry in her right arm.

"Do you think the Dark Lord would find us here?" asked the tearful Lily Potter putting Harry's head onto hers.

"I don't think he will, but we have to be very cautious of the risk." replied James Potter.

"It's a lovely house, here," put in Lily. "It's the perfect place to hide out."

"Yes, it is, Lil. Let's put Harry to bed now. It's really late."

"Yeah, you're right." Lily started heading upstairs to the nearest bedroom to the right. James followed, abandoning the note.

When James came into the room, Harry was in his crib, looking up at his parents. "He looks a lot like you when you were a kid. Remember?"

"Yeah, but he has your eyes."

"Of course he does, but your handsome looks."

"I can't deny my charm." James said, pushing back his messy jet black hair.

"Remember when we were neighbors and you had a crush on me?" Lily reminded James.

"I don't remember that part," James teased. "But I do remember being immature and mean towards you"

"Which meant you had a crush on me," Lily added.

"Ok, I admit I had a 'crush' on you," James grinned.

"I wish we have a video on our whole lives." Lily said.

"I think we do, thanks to magical technology." James flicked his wand, and a black video cassette tape appeared. "We can relive our whole lives by putting this in our t.v."

"Let's try it out!" Lily said, trying not to wake Harry. James and Lily left the room, excited about seeing there whole lives pass through them.

James pushed the play button on the VCR. It showed James mother on the hospital bed with a doctor and James's father by her side on half the screen. On the other half, it showed the same thing, except with Lily's mother and their doctor with her husband by her side.

"You don't think..." Lily began.

Right away, with a flick of his wand, the tape began to fast forward itself. "Phew!" Lily sighed. They were about to watch James's mother and Lily's mother giving birth to James and Lily.

"Here we are! First day of school." James pronounced.

"What does that big red button do?" Lily pointed at the remote.

"Want to see what it does?" James asked.

Lily grabbed the remote and pushed the big red button, grabbing on to James. Like a port-key, James and Lily disappeared from real life into a vortex and went in the past, fourteen years ago, when James and Lily were going to start there first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When Harry didn't exist, and Voldemort wasn't so powerful. He was without any servants. Lily and James were in no danger at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Jamie, wake up!" Mrs. Potter yelled as she turns on his light in his room, then sits on his bed. "James, it's time to get up. It's your first day of school at Hogwarts. Hurry up…I made Breakfast." She shakes James gently. James groans and covers his eyes with his blankets from the blinding light from his lamp. "UP!" she yells and removes the blankets with her wand. He had thin stripped pajamas on him, just cut, messy jet black hair, and blue eyes. He was skinny for his age, he was only 11.

"'M-U-U-U-U-M!" James shrieks at his mother. He pulls his knees tight against his chest.

"Lily is waiting in the carpool. I offered to drive her. She has no ride."

James bounces of his bed, grabs his thin rimmed glasses, races in the bathroom, brushes his teeth, pulls over his yesterday clothing, then, runs into the kitchen to get a bite to eat. This all happened within 20 seconds.

Mrs. Potter walks into the kitchen, smiling, "Works every time."

James Potter always had a crush on Lily Evans, his next door neighbor. He denies it all the time when his parents tease him about it. He hides it pretty well when around her. James teases Lily all the time, and sometimes he's snobby and mean to her around his friends. Lily ignores James when he's like this and acts like she's telling secrets, then, giggles with her many friends when James is around. Lily's deep dark secret that she never tells anyone that she feels the same way about James. Lily knows that when James is around his friends he's a different person.

James hurries out side with his trunk floating happily behind him, following his dad who's levitating the trunk. Mrs. Potter follows closely behind, carrying James's new pearl-spotted owlet named Arctica, short for the real continent sheeted with ice. She was a dark brown and had speckles of white in her face and wings, and big white feathers blended with brown on her chest. She also had brilliant yellow colored eyes like nobody has ever seen. She was flapping her wings against the cage as Mrs. Potter took her to the car.

James met Lily out by the street. She had long, red hair, resting just below her shoulders, fair skin, and a splash of freckles on her face. She had the most amazing bright green eyes that a person could see from feet away. "Hi, James," Lily called out to James.

Blushing furiously, turning away for a second to hide it, he said, "Hi…are you anxious for our first day at Hogwarts?" James replied, looking at her now.

"Absolutely," Lily said, then looking up towards the house at her muggle older sister standing by, with the dirtiest look on her face, pointy nose crinkled, like when she just has some of her great grandmother's sauerkraut on a gigantic peace of sausage, with still the grease dripping off of it.

James looked in that direction. "It looks like she just ate a worm," James said with a nasty look on his face. Standing next to her sister, Petunia, their parents stood, beaming at their proud daughter, the mother had tears in her eyes. James knows how Petunia is, bullying her sister around ever since she found out.

"Yeah…" Lily sighed. "Let's get in, shall we?"

At King's Cross Station, James's dad slipped through the crowded people, boarding their trains. Everyone followed, even muggle born witches and wizards that had no clue how to get to the platform or get to the train itself followed the Potter's and Lily. They knew they were going on to the train because they had trollies packed with their trunks and made the loudest noise in the train station.

They stopped in between platforms 9 and 10. "Ok, everyone ready? Mr. Potter asked. "James, you go first, next your mum, then it's Lily, turn. I'll go last. Everyone got it? Go, James."

James ran to the wall divider separating the platforms. He closed his eyes, then ran towards the wall, going through the barrier. Lily was next. She was amazed at how this is possible. Then follow James's parents.

They all looked up at the steaming train with the letters written on it in red, The Hogwart's Express. It had blown its whistle, warning everyone quickly get on because it's about to take off. James looked at the clock over head. It is 2 minutes to 11. James's dad throws Lily and James's trunks onto the train, gives James Arctica, and shoves them on. James gave his parents one last look, waving, Lily thanked them for the ride, and off they went. The train gave off one last whistle of steam, and started to tear off slowly, then gradually, gaining speed. James and Lily were off to Hogwarts, where they will be housed for the rest of the fall, into winter, and for all of spring.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Uhhh!" James groaned, moving his trunk through the pathway, trying to find an empty compartment.

Lily was ahead of him. She found a compartment with one person in it. "Bye, James," Lily said.

"Bye, Lily!" James replied. The compartment across from Lily's had one person in it also. What a great opportunity to make some new friends, or in this case, one friend. The boy in it gave James a strange look. James lifted his trunk, and stumbled. The boy in the compartment rushed over to his aid. He helped lift the trunk overhead to where the luggage goes. After the trunk was up there, James got a clear shot at the boy. The boy was a first year, like James, and he had long, messy, dark black hair with heavy eyebrows. The boy also had a pale look about him.

James said, "Thanks."

The boy gave James his hand and said, "Sirius. Sirius Black."

"James. James Potter," James replied.

"Excuse me, but were you just…talking to that girl? That…muggle born girl?"

"Wait a minute…how do you know she's muggle born?"

"She's clean…and a confused expressing about her face. I can just tell. It's a gift I inherited from my _purebred_ family," Sirius replied, emphasizing the word pureblood. "You're a pureblood. If you end up going with her…"

"Hang on…who says anything about me _going_ with her?"

"No one. I'm just saying that your kids will be half-blood. You don't want that hanging over your shoulders."

"Aren't we too young to talk about things like that? And besides, she's not my friend…she calls everybody James. James just happens to be the name my parents liked. My Great Grandfather is named James. Nothing's going on with anyone. _We're only 11!_"

"Alright, alright. You don't have to get testy with me." James's face was getting red, partly from embarrassment, partly from anger.

Lily was looking in James's compartment. James saw her looking and he shut the compartment doors. After that humiliation towards him, James can't risk it anymore, even though he likes Lily a lot. Pushing her away with be better for his social life. He has to make friends that won't think he's a weirdo. He can't live with that reputation.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" James heard a voice from behind his compartment door. James opened the door. The lady was asking Lily and her new friend if they wanted a snack from the trolley. The lady had a bunch of sweets, anything from Bertie Botts every flavor bean to chocolate frogs, to even licorice wands. James eyes grew so big, that someone would think they'd catch his eye if it popped out.

How about you, dear? Anything from the trolley?"

"Yes!" James shouted, practically jumping from his feet. "I'll have 4 cauldron cakes…4 of everything!"

"That'll be…" calculating on the cash register with her want, "four gallons, nine sickles, and five knuts."

James gave her five gallons from inside his pocket. She gave his the rest of the change, which were one sickle and five knuts. James loaded the seats in the compartment with the candy. Sirius gawked at all the food that was there.

"Um…do you mind sharing?"

"Oh, I have plenty. Dig in!"

Sirius took a Bertie Botts every flavor bean and popped it in his mouth. "Uggggg! Kidney Bean!"

James looked to see what Lily was up to. She was chewing off a piece of licorice wand. She glanced at James, and then slam went his door. Lily did have a confused expressing on her face. But it's not being new to the world of wizardry. James took a look at Sirius, who was now saying that he has a prune flavored bean.

It was getting dark out. "I suppose we should be changing into our robes," Lily's voice was heard through James's compartment. "We should be getting close now."

James looked at Sirius. Sirius was asleep, with his mouth slightly opened. Wrappers of candy were everywhere. Hey, Sirius…HEY SIRIUS!" James shouted.

"Wha-," Sirius jumped from his seat and ended up with his butt on the floor, but his legs and feet on James's seat.

"I suppose we should be changing into our robes now. I suspect we should be arriving soon."

Sirius tried to get up, but he was stuck. He pushed off with his arms in his own seat and lifted himself back on to his own seat, then sliding his feet off from James's seat and putting them back on the floor.

"Come on, the train's slowing down." They quickly changed into their robes as the train went to a complete halt. "What do you think it'll be like?"

"Dunno…I suppose brilliant. Better than being at home."

"Why?"

"Parent expectations. They want me to become something I'm most certainly not."

"That sucks."

"Yeah…so help me with my trunk?"

"Sure." That both climbed out of their compartment and helped each other with their trunks. They dragged their things along the train, behind Lily. They went off the train and into the crowd of confused first years.

"First years, this way!" a giant shouted out, carrying a lantern. He is twice as tall as the average man and nearly five times as wide. He had brown very thick, very long and tangled hair and beard. He looked like he was into his fifties with strands of gray hair appearing into the silver illuminated light.

The first years followed the giant until they reached the Black Lake that had about eight gigantic canoes. "Four to a boat!" The giant boomed, getting into a boat all to himself. The twenty eight students climbed into a boat. James and Sirius climbed into one boat, and then Lily and a girl followed. Once all the students were in, the boats started moving. As the fog disappeared, a huge ancient castle appeared, with thousands of lights from the windows and spotlights illuminated the night.

"It's like a dream! Only except I'll never wake up from it!" a random boy from a different boat stammers, and gawks at the enchanting castle.

"Muggle born," Sirius murmurs.

When they approached the castle, they got out and filed along, lining up at the doors. The doors opened automatically to let the first years in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The doors opened, leading them into a room. They were led up the stair case with the giant. The giant said, "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall was a tall, black-haired witch who wore emerald green robes. She looked at the new students with a stern face and motioned for the giant to go saying, "Thank you Hagrid." When they stopped in front of her she said, "You will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but first, you're going to be sorted into four houses, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin." She walked away for a moment, opening up the huge double doors that lay ahead of them a creak. Then without further notice, she told them all, "They're ready for you now."

She lined up the students in two rows. Then they all followed her. She picked up the stool that stood before the door with a raggedy old witch's hat on it. She carried it through the door, the students followed. Inside the double doors were four sets of long tables lined vertically, where the rest of the students waited. The place was lit by thousands of candles that were floating in mid air above the tables. The tables were set with glittering gold plates and goblets. In front of all four tables lay a very long horizontal table where the teachers sat. James looked up at the ceiling. It looked like a planetarium. It was a velvet black color, with trillions of stars, like the galaxy. James thought he saw the big dipper, but there was just a glare from his glasses.

They lined up in front of the podium. Professor McGonagall laid the stool down and placed the hat back on it. Out of thin air, she drew up a long scroll of parchment with her wand. "For the following students, please step forward. You'll sit on this stool and I'll place the sorting hat on your head." She unrolled the scroll of parchment and announced, "Belby, Marcus…"

A thin and nervous-looking boy approached the tool and hopped right on it. "Ah…very bright boy," spoke the hat. "Intelligence and wit…I think you should be in RAVENCLAW!"

The boy hopped down from the stool, smiling from ear to ear, joining the Ravenclaw table, but forgot to take off the hat. Professor McGonagall caught up with him and took the cap from his head. "Sorry Professor," Marcus says, shyly.

"Black, Sirius!" Professor McGonagall called. Sirius broke away from James and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat again on Sirius's head.

"Ah…a long line of Slytherins we have here. Very cunning, oh...but brave, too. Very courageous and bold….Maybe we should go with…GRYFFINDOR!"

Professor McGonagall took off the cap before he ran away with it. Wide eyed, Sirius took a seat at the Gryffindor table, muttering, "My mum's gonna kill me…"

"Brown, Milo Oliver!" called Professor McGonagall. A thin boy was quick in getting up to the stool.

"I know where you ought to go…Gryffindor!"

Next were Narcissa Black and then Broderick Bode, who were placed in Slytherin, then Amelia Bones who was placed into Hufflepuff, then Karl and Kevin Broadmoor who were Gryffindors, and Dedalus Diggle who was placed in Ravenclaw. Lily Evans was called next getting placed into Gryffindor. Then Joey Jenkins who was a Hufflepuff, then Gwenog Jones and Bertha Jorkins who were put into Ravenclaw, then Bellatrix Lestrange into Slytherin, next Gilderoy Lockhart into Ravenclaw, Frank Longbottom into Gryffindor, Remus Lupin into Gryffindor, Lucious Malfoy into Slytherin, Peter Pettigrew into Gryffindor, James Potter into Gryffindor, Roderick Plumton into Slytherin, Roddy Pontner into Hufflepuff, Severus Snape goes to Slytherin, Fabius Watkins into Ravenclaw, Arthur Weasley into Gryffindor, Blaise Zambine into Slytherin, and Rose Zeller into Ravenclaw.

After all the names were called, the headmaster, Professor Dippet, stood up from his chair and said, "Let the feast begin!" He waved his hand and the food appeared magically in front of their eyes. The sparkling gold plates and goblets were now filled with morsels of food. With this much food, the poor could never be hungry again.

Lily was sitting across from Sirius, calling him a pig. Sirius's reaction was, with mouthfuls of food, "You'd be hungry, too, if your last meal was lunch!"

Lily rolled her eyed as she piled her plate with chicken drumsticks. A piece of flying peas went into Lily's pumpkin juice. "Uhhhg!"

"Oops, sorry!" Sirius dug into Lily's drink and he fished out the pea.

When their tummies were full, and satisfied, the food disappeared from the table. The head master got up, and said, "Welcome to those who are new to the school and welcome back to those who aren't so new. Your schedules will arrive at breakfast tomorrow. Now go and get a good night's rest with your tummies all full, awaiting for the upcoming events to take place this year."

James, eyes half closed, only half listening to what the old head master said. He knew that was the cue to leave because everyone was getting out of their chairs,

"Your prefects will take you to your house dormitories," added Professor Dippet.

"My name is Jason Fischer I am the house prefect for Gryffindor," shouted Jason over the crowd. "Everyone, please follow me!"

All the first years followed Jason through the doors and into the Entrance Hall. It is where the stair cases are kept. When James looked up, it looked like the stairs wouldn't end. The stair cases kept changing positions and moving, too. Jason walked up the first set of stairs, and the rest followed. They climbed and climbed until they reached the seventh floor. There was a painting of a fat lady in front of him. The painting spoke, "Password?"

"Blazoned brute," said the prefect. The painting opened itself into another room. The prefect went through it, so did the first years. "Everyone, gather around…this is the Gryffindor Common room. This is where you're going to be spending your free time when not doing homework. The boys' dormitories are to your right, girls, the same on your left."

Jason left the first years so they can unpack in their dormitories. James was so tired that he could plop down on the couch by the fire. They all went into their dormitories, girls and boy separating. In James's room, they were four poster beds, and each had a bed side table. James went into the room followed by Sirius, and Remus and a strange looking boy.

"Hello," James said to the boy. "What's your name?"

"Why ya wanna know?"

"Well, we're going to be pretty tight in this room, minus well make the best of things. You know, get to know each other. I'll find out sooner or later from my different sources."

"Peter Pettigrew."

"That's what I thought. Now here's how it goes. I'm gonna get this top bunk, Sirius over there," pointed James, "Get's this bottom bunk, and Remus gets the other top. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah…no problem."

"Good…'cause I'm kidding. You can have any bed you want. There I was just being my funny old self. We'll be good friends in no time. Pick a bunk, except these three," James said smiling.

"Yeah…funny," muttered Peter under his breath.

James searched for his pajamas, undressed, and put his pajamas on, took off his glasses, and collapsed on the bed, sound asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The following morning, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all woke up, and headed out of the Gryffindor common room. James hesitantly stops at the door.

"What are you waiting for? Come on!" Sirius urges.

At that moment, Lily comes down the stairs to go to breakfast, too. "Oh…nothing. Let's go." James responded, starting for the door again.

"Hey, Evans!" James shouts at her.

"Boy, Potter, you got the nerve to speak to me that way!" Lily mocked. "Going to breakfast I presume?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's up to you to know what we're doing," James told her.

Sirius snickered. Remus had a concerned expression on his face. Sirius remarked, "It's only the first day and you two are at it. Come on, James. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I don't want to miss it!"

Lily brushed ahead of them with her nose in the air. "Girls, I tell ya, are a piece of work," James said.

"And she's your next door neighbor?" Sirius asks. "How do you get along at home?"

"Be nice to her. It's nobody's fault she's a girl," Remus says.

They all sighed and went to follow Lily down to the Great Hall. They took their seats, and Professor McGonagall handed them their schedules.

"We have double transfigurations today, Charms, and Potions…great!" James said with enthusiasm.

Severus Snape was walking towards the Slytherin table and tripped over his chemistry set he was carrying. The case opened and test tubes went everywhere and the glass shattered. Different kinds of powder were mixed and a huge explosion took place, and then smoke filled the area. Everyone in the Great Hall lifted their shirts over their nose to keep the fumes from intoxicating them. Professor McGonagall lifted her wand and muttering, "Vaporatum," at the smoke. She grabbed the boy and took him away and scolded him in a very loud voice so that they all heard, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE!"

James and Sirius both burst out laughing. "I don't see why this is a laughing matter. Please explain to me that us nearly getting poisoned to death is funny." Lily scolded.

"Oh, no, we're not laughing at the situation," James started, laughing uncontrollably.

"We're laughing at the kid who got in trouble," Sirius finished, shaking in giggles.

Remus rolls his eyes and sighs, picking up his History book to read.

"Well, I sort of feel sorry for Severus. He's the one who got humiliated. STOP LAUGHING!"

Sirius and James started to laugh even harder after what she said. "It's starting to hurt!" James shrieked.

"Yeah, my lungs are about to explode!" Sirius agreed, holding his chest. Tears were rolling down their faces.

"Oh, come on, boys! Pull yourselves together! Transfigurations is about to start in ten minutes."

"It's not about to start," Sirius gasped for breath after all that laughing. "Ten minutes is a while from now."

"It'll take us awhile to find our class, so we better get a move on."

The lot all hopped down from their seats, Peter, who had mouth fills of food didn't pay any attention to the havoc. They found their class room and James and Sirius took the first row in the front and Lily sat in the second row in the front. Remus and Peter sat in the second row behind James and Sirius. All the students poured into the class room and took their seats.

"Hey, James, you didn't tell me that we have this class with the Slytherins," Sirius said, staring at the people in the green robes.

"You didn't ask," James responded. The boy with the greasy black hair caught his eye. "Looks like someone didn't get expelled after all," James said to Sirius, pointing at the boy.

"His head of house must be pleased with his achievement," Sirius muttered.

"What?"

"Yeah, the head of house punishes their student," Sirius reminds him.

"Right," James says.

Mean while, in the second row behind James and Sirius sat Remus and Peter. Peter had a fist full of bacon in his hand. Remus looked at Peter, awkwardly. "What? Haven't you ever heard of take out?" Peter asks, annoyed.

"Stop talking, all of you," Lily leans over, muttering to them. "If Professor McGonagall hears you…" She doesn't finish her sentence, leaning back up.

"As I was saying before Miss Evans interrupted me…" Lily didn't notice that Professor McGonagall was talking over the rambling of the two boys. "I will not accept dangerous equipment, like what Mr. Snape brought in to breakfast, outside of the Potions room." Snape had turned red.

"Now back to the subject of Transfiguration. Transfiguration is the changing of the form and appearance of an object, the conjuring and creation of objects, and the vanishing of objects. This is generally achieved through concentration, the precise waving of the wand and speaking the appropriate incantation. One of the trickier subjects, it requires great concentration and effort. The art of reversing Transfiguration is called Untransfiguration. Transfiguration is taught from the first year to the fifth, with the option of an N.E.W.T. course in the sixth and seventh years. Anyone who is screwing around in my class will get kicked out and never come back.

"First I will teach you simpler things, like turning a match into a needle, and similar things like that." She drew up a match with her wand and said an incantation loud enough for every one to follow her lead. "Needealius!" The match turned into a shiny, pointy needle. The class took a bunch of notes following her transfiguration of the match into a needle and then at the end, tried to do it themselves. Only a couple people exceeded at first. James was one of them. "Five points to Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall said. During the second Transfiguration class, a whole bunch more could do it.

There next class was Charms with Professor Flitwick with the Ravenclaws. Their task was to levitate a feather into the air, draw it across the room, and land on a pillow at the end. Of coarse more notes were taken, and then there were hardly any time for the incantation itself. "**Wingardium Leviosa**!" Lily enchanted. The feather, immediately, took off in the air. She moved her wand forward and the feather glided smoothly forward. She stopped when the feather was over the box. She put her wand back down to lower it and then it dropped onto the pillow. 

James was staring in awe of Lily, doing that complicated incantation. He glared at his feather and tried to do the same thing. "**Wingardium Leviosa**!" His feather wiggled slightly and jerkily, went a couple of inches into the air. He carried it higher and drew it to the pillow, the feather going at a slow pace. It plopped right down, missing the pillow for only a few centimeters. 

James's face grew red hot. Lily was staring at his attempt to follow her lead. "Almost…it takes practice." 

James smiled awkwardly. Sirius looked at James with one brow raised. Then James scowled at here for saying such a thing like encouraging him. "Oh, what do you know? You got it the first try." 

"And you aced in Transfiguration, so we're even." 

"Yeah…whatever." 

The class ended and it was time to go to lunch. "Come on! I'm starving," Sirius says. "Don't want to miss lunch; it's the most important…" 

Sirius was cut off by James, "…meal of the day, I know. That's what you said about Breakfast." 

"Right…a boy's got to eat!" 

The Great Hall was filled with lunch items at each table. Peter was porking out like he hasn't eaten for days. Sirius was jamming his face full with food and washing it down with pumpkin juice. James seemed depressed at the table and only half filled his plate. 

Lily was scowling at the two boys eating. It discussed her. She turned her head to James, who was picking at his food. Remus sat down by James. "What's up, mate?" 

"Oh…nothing," James said. 

"Cheer up. Potions are this afternoon with Professor Slughorn." 

"Woo-hoo," James said very dully. 

"And flying lessons are tomorrow. Quidditch is you most favorite sport." 

"Looking forward to it with the Slytherins." 

"Ah, now you're making me depressed!" 

"What's up?" Sirius says, in between mouthfuls of food. 

"Nothing, I better get going to Potions to get it over with. It's in the dungeons." 

"Catch up with you later then. Me and Pettigrew need to finish lunch or we'll be cranky all afternoon. You don't want to get on my bad side, Potter," Sirius teased. Peter shook his head in agreement. 

"I didn't eat a thing, other than you lot. I'll stay to eat, too, I guess. Who'll make sure they get to their classes on time?" Remus grins and pats James on the back. 

James gets up to leave. Lily does, too. James just shrugs and heads to the Dungeons. 

"What's really the matter?" Lily asks. "You use to tell me anything in out tree house in the back yard." James is silent and keeps walking. "Fine, don't talk to me." Lily runs off, without looking at James. 

In the Potions room, there are eight cauldrons spread out in the room. "Four to a cauldron, please." Professor Slughorn orders. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus all pick a cauldron. Lily joins a group of three girls James has never seen before. 

"The first potion we are going to brew has an unknown name, but all we know is that it cures boils. I guess we shall call it the boil curer." Professor Slughorn chuckles. "The ingredients are up on the board. Send a group member up to me to collect them." 

When Potions was over, the Gryffindors all went up to their common room. "I can't believe we have homework on the first day! They're all mad!" Sirius shouts in their dormitory. 

"Well, we better get started then," James says calmly, "so we're not late for dinner." 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

On the following day, Lily ignores glances from James. In the morning, the Gryffindors had flying lessons with Madam Hooch on the Hogwarts grounds. She looked like she just graduated from school. She was young with messy spiked black hair like she's been on a broomstick all her life. She had hawk gold like eyes like she was made for flying. There were many broomsticks out on the ground.

"Everybody, stand on the left side of your broomstick, with your right hand over the handle and say it nice and clearly, UP."

"UP!" James shouted. His broom springs up off the ground and into his hands. Many of his class members had trouble with their broom sticks and said 'up' many times before it happened.

"Now, you will get a firm grip at the end of the broomstick, mount it until you get raised a foot into the air, hover for a moment, you'll come back down. Ready? On my whistle, 3, 2, 1..." The whistle blows and every one mounts their broom. Peter falls off the front. The broom keeps raising itself and Peter jumps, trying to catch it. "No, come here boy. When this happens concentrate hard on the broomstick and say 'accio'. Got it?"

"Yeah...accio!" The broomstick falls down, hitting Peter on the head. By then, everyone has come down.

"Brilliant! Class dismissed. We'll work on it next time except next time we'll do distance."

Everyone filed out and went into the school. "Hey, we don't have classes until this afternoon. Want to go to the common room, James?" Sirius asks.

"No...I think I'll go to the library...catch up work."

"It's only the second day and you have catch up work?"

"Catch up with you guys later." James heads off in a different direction. Lily looks at Sirius. Sirius asks Peter, "Do you want to go to the common room?"

Lily heads off after James. James sees her and he walks into an empty class room. Lily walks in after him. "What's going on?" Lily asks.

"Here," James shoves a note to Lily.

Lily read the note. "That's wonderful! You need a brother or sister to look after you." Lily grins. "What's wrong with your mum and dad having another baby?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm use to getting all the attention. And it's not like they asked me about it."

"Well they seemed thrilled. Don't lower their spirits by saying don't have it because I don't want you to. You're being selfish. Maybe this will be an advantage for you. You won't get into trouble for putting dung bombs across the street into that evil lady's house. You can teach him or her..."

James cut her off, "They already said it was a boy. He's due during Spring Break."

"...Him to play Quidditch, and to spit, and to annoy me."

James laughed. "Yeah, I guess your right. Look...I'm sorry for not talking to you the other day."

"Yeah...what was that about."

"I don't know. Look...like I said, I need to go to the library. I like to read. I just don't want the guys to know. See you later."

"Bye, James." Lily went out of the room and went to the Gryffindor common room. Sirius and Peter were sitting on the plump little couches by the fire place. "Where's Remus," Lily asked Sirius."

"You'll never know!" Sirius shouts.

Lily grabs Sirius's hair and pulled back his head so he would look up at her. "Now!"

"OWWWW! ALL RIGHT! Remus forgive me...he's in the boy's dormitory."

Lily marched up the stairs and turned right instead of left, and entered their room. "What's the matter with James? Your his friend, and you observe things others can't."

Remus shocked at the sudden approach. "Well...I'm not sure I'm suppose to tell you. James'll kill me."

"Listen...I've know James all my life. I know somethings the matter. What is it? Is it something I've done?"

"Yes."

"I don't have time for games. SPILL!"

"Promise you won't say anything to James?"

"I promise, now what is it?"

"First you tell me. What is this relationship between you and James?"

"Wait a minute...I'm the one asking the questions here."

"Do you like James?"

"What? Like what? I knew him all my life and he has never acted this way towards me."

"It's because he has friends that are boys for the first time in his life, and he doesn't want to screw things up by some girl..."

"...That he's known all his life, that's been a friend to him all his life, and now he's gone mental."

"I think you two need to talk."

"I can't talk to him! That's why I'm going to you."

"I'm afraid I can't help you either..."

Sirius and Peter approach Remus and Lily. "What's going on, guys?" Sirius asks.

"UGGGHHHHH!" Lily screams. and stomps out of the room.

"She frightens me," Sirius tells them.

Lily plops down on a seat at the library, face red, with long frizzy hair that gets that way when she's mad. James comes out of an isle carrying a couple books. "Something the matter?" James grins.

"I don't know. You tell me." Lily blows on her bangs, hanging in her eyes.

James laughs, sitting right next to Lily. "Tried to get the information out of Remus?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I just look at the obvious," James said, pulling his hair back.

"Yeah, right," Lily says, teasingly punching his arm.

"Hey, let's go to lunch. After that is Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Hufflepuffs."

"Suppose your right. I'm not looking forward to seeing your friends stuff their faces with food and eating with their mouths open. That's not a treat."

James just laughs. "You're easy to bug. It's nice to have another member on the Potter team."

"Yeah, brilliant."

They both headed to lunch. Sirius, Peter, and Remus were already there.

"They pushed me half the way because I wasn't going fast enough!" complained Remus.

Lily put a divider between Sirius and Remus so she won't have to look at the pigs. She only saw James across from her and the left side. "There. If your faced with pigs like Sirius and Remus, deal with it."

"I'm not. You are," James reminds her.

"I meant me...I was just talking about other problems you might face like my problem with these guys."

"Oh...then why didn't you say so?" James could see Lily clench her teeth. James grinned.

After lunch, Remus, Sirius, Peter, James, and Lily started for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Dumbledore was teaching this class. He had brown hair and a short beard with half moon spectacles. "In this class, you will be chosen partners for dueling. Black and Snape! Pettigrew and Brown! Lockhart and Lupin! James and Lily!" and a bunch more pairs were called off.

"First, all of you face your partner. Now we're only going to practice on disarming your opponent by chanting the word, Expelliarmus. Bow, and then let the dueling begin!"

Remus went first, chanting, "Expelliarmus!" Lockhart hid behind a book case that was to the side. The spell missed. "Professor Dumbledore! Why do I have to be paired off with such a ding-bat?"

"It's not nice to call anyone names even if they are a ding-bat. There are no more partners, so you'll have to make do."

"Look, Lily, I don't want to hurt you, so why don't we trade partners with Remus and Lockhart?"

"Is it that, or are you afraid to get beaten by a girl?"

"No, I'm pretty sure you'll be the one who'll get taken down."

"Prove it!"

"Fine! Expelliarmus!"

Lily said expelliarmus the same time. The beams of light connected and turned pink. Now the whole class was staring. Beads of sweat trinkled down James's brow, holding his concentration, but still in awe of the bright pink electricity that bonded him and Lily. Lily was just in shock as he was. They both took off there wands at each other the same time. Lily bolted for the door. James followed.

Sirius grabbed James's robe and held him back, "Hold on, mate! You got some explaining to do. What was that about, huh?"

James stared at the back at Lily's head as she disappeared, turning the corner.

The bell rang, and everyone took off leaving. "I got to go, Sirius. Talk to you later..."

"Wait, we don't have classes..." responded Sirius. By then, James was already out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Weeks went by and James and Lily hadn't said a word about their first class of Defense Against the Dark Arts since. They went through their regular routines of James teasing Lily and Lily ignoring James. They had thought about the expelliarmus spell every night and about what it meant.

The days were getting colder, and soon, nobody wanted to go outside because of the frigid weather. That didn't mean that they could miss Herbology with Professor Sprout. The Gryffindors all went out side to Greenhouse 2 for Herbology one afternoon in their winter robes. There was a blizzard out side. When Lily reached the Greenhouse, her hair was all white instead of red.

"Hey frosty!" James called out to her, while cleaning off the water from his glasses from the melted snow, then putting it back on his face.

"Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror!" Lily told James, drying her robed with her wand. Lily shook her head all over and snow went flying everywhere on James and his glasses. James took off his glasses again and whipped his glasses off on his robes that didn't help much James noticed, because James's robes were covered in snow.

"Fair enough," replied James. James used Lily's robe to get the wetness off his glasses.

"James!" Lily shouted, "I just dried those!"

"We're waiting to start class, James and Lily," scolded Professor Sprout.

"Sorry," they both said, joining their classmates with the Hufflepuffs, giving off angry glares at each other.

"Now, we are going to be learning about this plant here, the Devil's Snare," she showed them a plant pot with a snake-like looking plant. "Devil's Snare is composed of a mass of soft, springy tendrils and vines that possess some sense of touch. Devil's Snare uses its creepers and tendrils to ensnare anyone who touches it, binding their arms and legs and eventually choking them. The harder a person struggles against Devil's Snare, the more faster and more tightly it binds them; if they relax, it will not kill them as quickly. Devil's Snare prefers a dark, damp environment and shrinks away from fire, so a well-placed flame spell such as bluebell flames will drive it away from its victims.

"Now everyone is going to take a pot of Devil's Snare and drive it away with the incantation of incartum inflamare." Everyone took a pot of Devil's Snare and performed the incantation. The greenhouse was heated with everyone's bluebell flame spell. By the time class ended, everyone's face was red and sweaty from being in the greenhouse. It almost felt good to step out into that blizzard.

James's glasses were all fogged up. That gave him another reason to wipe his glasses off on Lily's robes, annoying her as much as possible. "Hey, your face is as red as your hair!" James remarked. "Too bad Sirius is sick with a sore throat to see this!"

"That's probably because of all the food he jams down his throat," replies Lily, picking up a little piece of snow and watched it melt into a puddle on her hand.

"Hey, want to feel my face? It's burning, Lily!" James said, wiping the sweat off his face.

"No thank you, James, I can feel my own and know how yours feel."

"Ok, here, I'll give you a sample." James held up his hands with sweat all on them and chased Lily back into Hogwarts castle. They ran all the way up to the seventh floor to the Gryffindor common room. Lily jumped on the couch to try to get away from him. Then she jumped over the couch and up the stairs, turning left to the girls dormitory. James tried to follow her up and then the stairs sunk into the ground, forming a slide that prohibits boys from entering.

James landed right next to a boy standing over him. Jason Fischer, the prefect stood over him saying, "No boys aloud inside the girls dormitory."

"Why? Lily goes up into the boys dormitory sometimes."

"Because boys aren't trust worthy. It's Godrick Griffindor's rule. It's been here ever since his time, and it's going to stay that way." Jason left James speechless, and continued on his way, patrolling the area.

"Boys can be trusted!" James announced, as he marched up to his own dormitory, explaining to his roommates of what had happened.

"But Godrick Gryffindor was a boy! he feels that way about his own gender?" Sirius croaked.

"I guess so. Why would James even want to go into the girls dormitory anyways?" Remus pointed out. "Why would any boy?"

"Pranks, I guess," replied James. "It's fun to tease Lily, you got to admit that."

"No, I like reading my History Through the Ages book," replied Remus.

"Why? Professor Binns is so boring," Sirius groaned.

"He is quite a bit dull when the subject is so exciting. I'm also quite fond of Defense Against the Dark Arts, too."

"Now there's a subject I like...what about you James? Do you like Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Sirius asks.

"Sure, I'm hungry, when's dinner?"

"Always at seven, James. You should know that by now."

"Oh, but there is snacks they serve, isn't there?"

"I suppose, but...hey James, where you going?"

James went down to the common room. Lily had a change of robes on, and she was reading a book on a couch over by the fire place. James looked at the title of her book. Then he realized it's one that he took out at the library. "Hey," Lily looked up.

"Isn't that my book?" James asked.

"Yes, don't worry, I won't show your friends. I was just interested in the stuff you like to read. Here," she handed him the book that titled _Spell Signs. _"I suppose you're still thinking about Defense Against the Dark Arts, too?"

"What do you think it mean?"

"I don't know for sure, I'm still doing my research outside of class. Maybe I won't have to. Tell me if you find anything will you?" and she headed out the door.

After dinner, James went to bed, feeling a little bit light headed. "Maybe it's from all the food I ate," James told himself. He went to bed and hoped he would get better. As he closed his eyes, white swirled mist formed inside.

He could see himself going back in time to the time when he was nine years old. "Hey James, give me a hand!" Lily's voice echos. Lily and James were climbing a mountain in the woods in their back yard. James stuck out his hand to help Lily up. They both had backpacks on with water bottles attached. "How big is this mountain?" Lily asks in awe, looking up.

"Dunno," replies James. "We sure wouldn't be here if your mom told you that you couldn't go."

"Yeah, thanks for begging on my part," Lily says.

"Yeah, my mom would let me go no matter what. Actually my dad forced my mom because his argument was boys will be boys. Come on, let's got."

"Wait for me!" Lily shouts. Lily feels for a step of stone, and grabs ahold of a rock. The rock comes loose and falls to the bottom. "James!"

James looks down at Lily. Lily grabbed a hold of James shirt tail and drags him down. James still holds on, taking Lily's hand so she wouldn't fall. James carefully, lowers himself until they were five feet from the rocky floor. Lily was heavy for James to carry with one arm. She had no rock hole to slip her hands into. His sweaty hands slips from under Lily's hands and she falls. She fell and broke her right arm. "Lily!" James cries, as he springs up from the ground beside his bed, covered in sweat.

"I'm right here!" Lily announces. It was dead of the night. Sirius and Peter were asleep.

"How'd you get down there, mate?" Remus asked.

"What's she doing here?" James questioned.

"Bad dream," she replied. "I fell asleep forty minutes before you. You stayed in the Great Hall for quite sometime."

"Anyways," Remus says, "You were talking in your sleep, something about telling Lily to come up a mountain or something, or something about ripping your new Ireland shirt you received for Christmas, and then you fell out of bed. I called Lily up from the stairs of the girl's dormitory because it had something to do with her and here we are. And now, I'm going to go back to sleep. I was stupid enough to try that brown gloop that tasted like dog dung. Did you have any of it?" Remus asked them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

James was a little shaken up by the dream. Then he realized that Lily had a dream, too, that she didn't tell James about. James would ask about that later. And then he wondered why did he have that dream? They were only seven years old. James remembered what happened after that. Lily had to go get a cast on her arm since her parents didn't know she was a witch. James thought it was stupid when all they could have done was cure it with magic. James had promised not to say anything about him and his family being magic folks. James smiled when he pictured Lily's face at how young she was. He then remembered when his family told the Evans' the truth, when Lily received her Hogwarts letter. She was so excited that she knew a wizard already. So in the summer of 1969, Mr. and Mrs. Potter took James and Lily to Diagon Alley.

"Why are you smiling like an idiot?" Sirius laughed.

"I'm not! Go to sleep." James shut the curtains to his four poster bed. He rolled over to his side facing the wall. That night he dreamed of Lily's expression on her face when she was at Diagon Alley. He remembered when she received her wand, Willow, 10 1/4", swishy. Mr. Ollivander had tried a multiple number of wands. James had received a Mahogany, 11 inches, pliable. Ollivander had stated that Lily's wand was good for Charms work. _That explains a lot_, thought James. James's wand was meant for Transfiguration. But James didn't notice the difference because he was good at everything, as he always rubbed it in to Lily.

The months were rolling by fast. September ended, then October and then November. December was here and Christmas was in the air. The Great Hall had 12 Christmas trees, some decorated with hundreds of bright glittering candles, and some was decorated with sparkling tiny icicles. The rest had holly and mistletoe along the walls with dots of berries on them. The ceiling had a snowy white mist to it. James, Sirius, Lily, Remus, and Peter all sat down for breakfast.

"Well, the holidays are finally here," Lily sighed. "Tomorrow we're off."

"Yep," James agreed. "So?"

"What are you guys doing for Christmas?" Lily asked.

"Family with the Evans," James replied. "You should know!"

"Why do your families get together on Christmas?" Sirius asked.

"Family friends. My family wanted to make her family feel at home so they befriended them ever since they moved here since Petunia was born. I wasn't born yet. My parents have been dating for eight months. We were born four years later. After they got married, my mum went to live in my dad's house. My mum and Mrs. Evans really hit it off. They were both pregnant with me and Lily at the same time," James said. "Mrs. Evans was always over for tea."

"I wasn't expecting that long of a response, but o.k." replied Sirius.

"What about you, Sirius? What are you going to do for Christmas?" James asked.

"I will kindly let my mother yell at me for not being in Slytherin. My mum hasn't spoken a word since the letter I sent her, letting her know I was in Gryffindor. I thought she was going to send a howler or something."

"Want to come over my place for Christmas to avoid it, mate?" James asked.

"Naw, I'll have to face it sooner or later. Sooner the better."

"What's a howler?" Lily asked.

"It's a scarlet colored envelope that comes alive like a monster to tell you off. It's the most horrible and embarrassing experience in life. She'd murder me if she knew I was talking to you!" Sirius said.

"Sirius..." James muttered.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Don't go into it," he breathed.

"Why does your mother have a problem with me? She doesn't even know me," Lily said.

"People are just prejudice, Lily. Don't go into it. It's their own problem," James said.

"What? Is it based on religion? She doesn't even know my religion." Lily said angrily.

"No, Lily. It's because your muggle born," James said, just as angry as Lily.

"My mother prefers to call them mudbloods," Sirius adds. "I have no problem with them, It's just what I hear from home."

"Oh," Lily says, trying to not look upset. Remus looked concerned. "Excuse me, guys. First class is about to start."

She left the table. Everyone there was speechless. James looked at his watch. Class didn't start for another 45 minutes. They got up early to eat because Sirius complained that they never get enough time to eat breakfast.

There first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. James took a seat next to Lily in the front row. "Look, Lily. We don't believe that stuff. Never mind what Sirius's mother says," James whispers.

"I'm not mad," Lily whispers back. "Maybe a little confused at why they discriminate against muggle borns and half-bloods. Are all purebreds like that?"

"Look who you're talking to," James grins. "Only the evil ones I guess," James shrugged.

"Oh, right."

"Cheer up, Lily. Charms is next," Remus says, coming down the isle. "It'll give you another shot at beating James at something."

That day went by fast. Nobody had any homework at the end because in each class none of them did anything. All the teachers were happy spirited about the upcoming break.

The following day, the Hogwarts express was loading all the students. James, Lily, Sirius, Peter, Remus, and a new friend of Lily's squeezed into one apartment.

"Everyone, this is Molly Prewett," Lily announced. Molly was a plump little girl with flaming red curly hair.

"Hello, Molly," they all chorused, as if they were in some rehab program, introducing someone new.

Molly blushed and took a seat next to Remus. "Hey, Molly, there you are. I was looking all over for you," Arthur Weasley said, through the door. "They're starting a game of wizard's chess. Want to join?"

"Excuse me," she excused herself from the group.

Lily slumped onto a seat, "I'm all alone with four obnoxious boys again."

"We love you too, Lily," James smiled. They all patted her on the shoulder, some lifting their arms to reach to pat her.

"Four smelly, sarcastic, obnoxious boys, again," Lily repeated.

"Well what do you expect? We just played a game of Quidditch before we left," James said.

"And didn't bother to clean yourselves up for your parents?" Lily exclaimed.

"No time. The train was going to leave any minute," Sirius put in.

"Then why play?" Lily questioned.

"I needed to practice catching a quaffle for next year. I'm going to audition to be a Chaser."

"Surprise, surprise," Lily sighs.

"We should practice now, then, what do you say James?" Sirius asked.

"Why not?" James said.

"With what?" Lily asked, looking at the both of them suspiciously.

"This," James grabbed her book from her hand and passed it to James.

"James! Sirius!" It went back and forth from James to Sirius to Remus to Peter.

After a while, Remus finally stopped the game when the book came to him and he handed it to Lily. "Thank you!" Lily shouted.

The trip dragged on as they played chess, I spy, marbles, and asked each other trivia questions with cards. The train finally came to a stop. All five of them came out. Lily met her parents and her sister. Sirius met his mother who had a scowl on her face. James met his parents and Remus and Peter met their parents. They all bid good bye to them and see them on the train when they get back, except for Lily and James who said they'd see each other at home. They all hopped into their own car with their families and drove off.


End file.
